I am off to my first ever trip to araps next week, its a VCC trip and I have been preadvised that " no guarantees can be given that we will have enough leaders to ensure a climb unless you have your own rack and rope and can lead."
Given that I don't lead I figured that I might try and tackle some of the boulder problems, so is a crash pad essential and are there easy to moderate boulder problems that I can have a crack at, ( I will get a guide book but I am bust for the next few days)

So any recommendations on boulder problems and crash pads( what sort, make, price etc)
thanks
terry

Hey Tel - I know it sounds a bit harsh, but I'd say the VCC trip leader is probably just alerting you to the fact that the Arapiles trips are often very popular, and as such the trip leader can get swamped with people wanting to be hauled up climbs. He/she might only have a couple of other people (if any) on the trip who volunteer to lead.

>is a crash pad essential and are there easy to moderate boulder problems>that I can have a crack at?

The bouldering at Arapiles caters well for those looking for easy to moderate problems. Really don't need a guide, just walk around Central Gully or below the cliff to the Pharos. If you are after a guide, the Tempest Best of guide has a bouldering mini guide in the back. Though this uses a lame grading system (almost as archaic as the B grading system).

As for a bouldering mat, a nice idea but not a necessity. Just use a bit of common sense and care when selecting problems. As unless you plan on bouldering alot, money will be better spent improving your rack for when you do start leading. Just take a small square of carpet to stand on and wipe your feet before stepping off the ground.

The bouldering at Arapiles is undervalued IMO. You will not be disappointed if you spend time bouldering at Arapiles.

dalai, thanks for the info, it inspired me to do a hunt and this is what I found, it seems to coincide with with your suggested grades, you have probably seen it http://www.natimuk.com/arapiles.net/boulder__1.html
there is also another two pages.
WM if you havn't seen this you may find it helpful re: more inspirational

why can't people just pick a bloody grading system and stick with it??

even the sydney bouldering guide claims the numbers they use aren't V-grades, but something like it. and there's a lot of discrepancy between various areas (eg a 4 at lindfield could be more like a 2 at sissy). surely people could just pick a grading system and make their best guess at how a problem fits in that system, instead of using some arbitrary scale that doesn't match with someone elses arbitrary scale.

but hey i usually have more fun when someone says 'hey try this one, its cool..' without knowing the number attached to it, its amazing what you can do when you don't know what you can't do.

as for mats, i've been using a MD's home brand one, i'm pretty happy with it and it was quite a reasonable price. nice and broad and fat and firm and has backpack straps (v. handy). don't forget they'll soften up over time so don't buy one thats too soft.

What a coincidence, I`m going to be down at Araps on those dates too. I`ll be in the Brisbane Rock Climbers club camping area, hopefully in the pines. If anyone wants to say hi then that`s where I`ll be. Just look for the bushy greying hair on a skinny guy. I hope I can catch up with you guys whilst I`m down there.

On 30/03/2004 anthonyk wrote:>why can't people just pick a bloody grading system and stick with it??>even the sydney bouldering guide claims the numbers they use aren't V->grades, but something like it.

The Arapiles grading system was probably created as the initial guide book writers may not have experience in the V or Font system. And it's far easier to fit all problems into a 5 grade system.

The Sydney bouldering guide (which I think is a brilliant resource - great work by Ballint) has most probably used the 'like V grades but not quite' to avoid the numerous grading arguements that would arise. (this 8 feels like V7 etc). Therefore if it doesn't quite match the V system - the easy answer is that it isn't a V grade!

For the guide book writer, it would be a lot more work if unsure of the V grades given to problems in the initial version of the guide. To release a collection of small run's of the new guide with feedback going into the reprints until concensus is reached and a final batch could be printed would be a big job!!